Family Of Cows Stranded On Grassy 'Island' After Earthquake

In the wake of a powerful earthquake which hit New Zealand early Monday morning, three lucky survivors have been spotted on a patch of untouched ground after narrowly avoiding being swept away in a resulting landslide.

Sadly, though, their fate is still uncertain.

Spare a thought for this cow family, stranded on a quake-created island https://t.co/HaHaBZVLDG #eqnz https://t.co/JAkyUOdBNN

Aerial footage taken by helicopter over nation's South Island shows the two adult cows, along with a calf, stranded atop a small grassy "island" near Kaikoura, a coastal region among the hardest hit by the natural disaster.

Local authorities say they are aware of the cows' situation, and will cooperate with efforts to bring them to safety.

"The priority of the police is to make sure all human lives are safe and we still need to account for all of them yet," the Sydney Morning Herald reports. "In the meantime it's all hands on deck, and if farmers and emergency services together can get to these cows, they will certainly make an effort to rescue them."

Note: This post will be updated as more information regarding these cows is made available.